Actress, musician, and conservationist Nikki Reed is thriving in her mission of turning the world’s trash into treasure with the launch of her new eco-friendly jewelry line — The Circular Collection. Reed’s sustainable lifestyle brand, Bayou with Love, partnered with Dell (yes, the mega tech company!) to create the limited-edition jewelry collection that is made in the U.S. and sourced entirely from recycled gold!

Nikki Reed — celebrity and eco-warrior extraordinaire!

Bayou with Love, which promotes eco-conscious consumerism and the inclusion of sustainability within the fashion industry, is certainly no stranger to creating beauty sans waste. The fashion and cosmetics brand’s array of loungewear and apparel are made with sustainable materials like recycled cotton canvas, organic cotton, and post-consumer plastic, while the home and beauty products are biodegradable, non-toxic, and made with all-natural ingredients.

Dell and Reed unveiled The Circular Collection earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas about a year after Dell first approached Reed with the concept of creating something beautiful out of e-waste. In an effort to move towards a circular economy for technology, Dell has long since been a leader in recycling, and designs their products so that they are easily recycled. (You can learn more about Dell’s recycling programs and closed-loop gold process here.) Since Dell already had a recycling program in place that recovered gold from computer motherboards, a collaboration with Bayou with Love was a terrific way to put their excess reclaimed gold to use and to help minimize the demand for mined gold.

Due to dirty gold mining practices, traditional gold mining is highly destructive to the environment — contaminating water supplies and destroying vital ecosystems. The countless toxic spills and mercury pollution that result from traditional mining (not to mention the harsh labor conditions workers are routinely subjected to), make reclaimed gold a more favorable alternative because it has a 99 percent lower environmental impact than gold extracted from the earth.

Currently, only 12.5 percent of e-waste is responsibly recycled. Thanks to the efforts of Reed and Dell Inc., valuable resources are being upcycled into exquisite jewelry pieces. In a press release, Reed said: “Bayou with Love was created to bring greater awareness to the human impact on our planet and show that beautiful items can come from sustainably sourced and recycled materials. By recycling gold that was once considered ‘waste,’ Dell and I are working to create an environment where we continuously reuse resources and strive for zero waste.”

The Bayou with Love X Dell Circular Collection includes 14- and 18- karat gold earrings, rings, and cuff links, as well as ethically sourced diamonds and opal gemstones. Reed recently announced new styles will be added soon, so be on the lookout for new items! In the meantime, you can shop some of their most popular pieces here.

By now, you may have noticed that The Circular Collection’s prices are slightly lower than the average jewelry pieces that contain gold, diamonds, and opal stones. Putting education and the brand’s overall mission over profit, Reed explained: “We want to shatter the misconception that recycled materials are of ‘lesser value,’ and while it may seem counter-intuitive to then price them lower, we felt it was the best way to introduce something that had never been done before so everyone can see the quality is exactly the same.”

Audrey Enjoli

Contributor at Peaceful Dumpling

Audrey resides in Los Angeles, California with her two dogs, Gullah and Jupiter. Audrey is a passionate writer and advocates sustainable and cruelty-free living. Follow Audrey on Instagram @audreyenjoli.